Closure (wine bottle)

{{Short description|Term for stoppers used to seal wine bottles}}

File:Synthetic corks for bottles.jpg

File:Easy open, easy recork.jpg

Closure is a term used in the wine industry to refer to a stopper, an object used to seal a bottle and avoid harmful contact between the wine and oxygen.winepros.com.au. {{Cite web|last= The Oxford Companion to Wine|title= stoppers|url= http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=3072|access-date= 2008-12-14|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080820075008/http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=3072|archive-date= 2008-08-20|url-status= dead}}

They include:{{cite web | url=http://www.meheen.com/beer-and-wine-bottling-processes/ | title=Beer and Wine Bottling Processes | publisher=Meheen | accessdate=3 August 2014}}

• Traditional natural cork closures ('corks')
• Alternative wine closures, such as screw caps, synthetic closures and glass closures.
• Historical applications no longer in use, such as wooden stoppers with cloth or wax

The choice of closure depends on issues such as the risk of cork taint, oxygen permeability and the desired life of the wine.{{cite web |last= Goode |first= Jamie, Ph.D. Wines & Vines |date= August 2008 |url= http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?content=57269§ion=features |title= Finding Closure |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090410040539/http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=57269 |archivedate= 2009-04-10 }} Another factor is consumer reaction, with the wine-buying public in Australia and New Zealand being positive towards alternative closures, while opinion is divided among consumers in the United States.{{cite web|last= Asimov |first= Eric, The New York Times: The Pour |title=How to Top It Off |url=http://thepour.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/how-to-top-it-off/ |date=January 25, 2007 }} In Europe, perceptions that associate screw caps with low-quality wine may be declining.

Synthetic wine bottle closures may allow for a controlled oxygen transfer rate.Impact of post-bottling oxygen exposure on the sensory characteristics and phenolic composition of Grenache rosé wines. J. Wirth, S. Caillé, J.M. Souquet, A. Samson, J.B. Dieval, S. Vidal, H. Fulcrand and V. Cheynier, Food Chemistry, 15 June 2012, Volume 132, Issue 4, Pages 1861–1871, 6th International Conference on Water in Food, {{doi|10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.12.019}}

Some natural cork closures may be "easy open, easy to recork", removing the need for a corkscrew.